Cannoli
One of 70 entries · Provenance 1000 — Italian
Sicily. Associated with Carnevale celebrations and originally made by nuns in Sicilian convents. The tube shape is said to represent fertility. The Arab influence (sweet ricotta, candied fruits, pistachios) from the period of Arab rule in Sicily (9th-11th centuries) is evident throughout.
Sicilian cannoli: fried pastry tubes filled with sweetened sheep's milk ricotta. The shell shatters. The filling gives. The two never become one — the shell is always filled at the last moment before serving, and if you hear it crack as you bite, it has been done correctly. Filled-in-advance cannoli are a tragedy.
- Turkish borek (fried pastry tubes with filling — structural parallel); Greek bougatsa (fried or baked pastry with cream filling); Lebanese awamat (fried dough with sweet filling — same Levantine sweet-fried-pastry tradition).
Marsala Superiore Dolce from Marco de Bartoli — the finest Marsala, concentrated and caramelised, mirrors the fried pastry and sweetened ricotta. Or a Passito di Pantelleria, the extraordinary raisin wine of Pantelleria island, where the volcanic soil gives the Zibibbo grape extraordinary concentration.
The shell dough: 00 flour, lard (not butter — lard produces a shorter, crispier shell), Marsala wine, sugar, and an egg — worked until smooth, rested 30 minutes, rolled thin (2mm) Wrap around metal cannoli forms and seal with egg white — the seal must be firm or the tube opens during frying Fry in lard or a neutral oil at 185C until the shells are deep amber — not golden, deep amber. The colour indicates the shell is fully crisp throughout, not just on the surface Sheep's milk ricotta (ricotta di pecora): the sharper, richer, drier ricotta of Sicilian sheep dairy — cow's milk ricotta is too wet and too mild. Drain overnight in a cloth-lined sieve Sweeten the ricotta with icing sugar, not granulated — granulated sugar does not dissolve fully in cold ricotta Fill at the last possible moment before serving — the moisture in the ricotta migrates into the shell within minutes, beginning to soften it
Filling in advance: the most common and most forgivable error (until you have experienced a freshly-filled cannolo) Using cow's milk ricotta without draining: the excess moisture makes the filling runny and softens the shell immediately Under-frying the shells: pale golden shells are still pliable in the centre and will soften further when filled
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- 250g tipo 00 flour
- 50g caster sugar
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
15 ingredients · 9 steps
Common Questions
Why does Cannoli taste the way it does?
Marsala Superiore Dolce from Marco de Bartoli — the finest Marsala, concentrated and caramelised, mirrors the fried pastry and sweetened ricotta. Or a Passito di Pantelleria, the extraordinary raisin wine of Pantelleria island, where the volcanic soil gives the Zibibbo grape extraordinary concentration.
What are common mistakes when making Cannoli?
Filling in advance: the most common and most forgivable error (until you have experienced a freshly-filled cannolo) Using cow's milk ricotta without draining: the excess moisture makes the filling runny and softens the shell immediately Under-frying the shells: pale golden shells are still pliable in the centre and will soften further when filled
What dishes are similar to Cannoli?
Turkish borek (fried pastry tubes with filling — structural parallel); Greek bougatsa (fried or baked pastry with cream filling); Lebanese awamat (fried dough with sweet filling — same Levantine sweet-fried-pastry tradition).